Promises of greatness
Before coming to play for Amherst, Cohen was a standout tennis player at the high school level. Playing four years for Rye High School in Rye, New York, and also on the Eastern Tennis Association juniors circuit, Cohen honed her skills and prepared for playing in college.
"My game really matured when I got to college," Cohen said, "and I have to give credit to my teammates and coaches for that." Even though the Jeffs had a strong team when Cohen came in, it didn't take long for her to jump to the top of the singles lineup. After playing low on the ladder for the first few matches, Cohen took over the top spot-a spot that she wouldn't relinquish in her four years at Amherst.
"At first there was a little tension with me moving to the first singles spot right away," said Cohen, "but our team has always been very close and people put it behind them."
Grabbing the brass ring
It was this sense of teamwork that led the Jeffs through a magical ride that took them to the NCAA Tournament in 1999. After making it to the Final Four in 1998, Cohen's freshman year, the Jeffs were determined to make it back to the top, and this time take home the title.
In the Final Four the Jeffs held off Trinity University of Texas, a traditional power in women's tennis, keeping their undefeated record intact. Waiting for the Jeffs in the final were the Ephs of Williams College. Amherst entered the match undefeated on the season, but one of their closest calls had been a 5-4 win over the Ephs in Williamstown earlier that year.
The Jeffs would need another stellar performance in the finals, and from the top spot Cohen led the way. In her match Cohen made short work of her opponent, winning 6-1, 7-5. She also took home a victory in doubles play, as she teamed with Stephanie Fong '02 to take a 9-8 (7) tie-breaker win.
When the day was over the Jeffs took home the first NCAA title in Amherst College history, a memory that Cohen prizes.
"I don't even know how to describe it, but winning the championship was an absolutely unbelievable experience," she said. "All year we knew that the team had the talent and potential, but when we won the final, we all felt like we got what we deserved. It is something that I will never forget."
In the singles competition Cohen entered as the top seed, but she ended up watching Jeff Co-captain Neely Steinberg '99 take the title. "Neely practiced with me, and she was very intense all the time," said Cohen. "She was a great teammate, but it was tough for me to not win the title."
In the spring of 2000, Cohen came back to the courts with a vengeance. Although the Jeffs were unable to repeat their national championship-they fell in the Final Four-Cohen realized her goal of winning the individual national title. "I was really disappointed sophomore year when I lost in the tournament, and it motivated me to work harder. It was a great sense of achievement, and everything paid off," she said.
After facing a number of difficult matches on the way to the final-in two of her previous matches Cohen had to gut out three-set wins-Cohen faced a relative unknown in the final. Selinda Geyer of Agnes Scott College entered the tournament unseeded, but she didn't drop a set on her way to the final. That was about to change.
In the final Cohen played a stellar match, and pasted Geyer 6-3, 6-3. "I love my teammates, and I love the team, but this was something for myself," she said.
Athletic accolades
This spring, the Jeffs have again put together an amazing season, and Cohen has led the way. After ripping through their regular-season matches with resounding wins over Trinity University (TX), The College of New Jersey and MIT, the Jeffs-ranked first in the nation according to preseason polls conducted by Sports Illustrated for Women-traveled to San Antonio, Texas for the Elite Eight portion of the NCAA Tournament.
Having trounced visiting NESCAC rival Wesleyan University 7-2 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Jeffs seemed poised for a championship. However, after beating the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the Jeffs fell to Trinity University and Emory University, capping the 2001 spring season with a 16-4 record and a fourth-place national finish.
Cohen, who has been the best individual player in the country for the last three years, has also been rewarded with a plethora of individual awards. Last August Cohen took home her first of many awards on the year, when she was honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), Tennis Magazine and Rolex Watch, U.S.A. Cohen was named a member of the Rolex Collegiate All-Star Team, along with top-ranked players from all other collegiate divisions.
Following close on the heels of this award came another honor, the Honda Award. Every year Honda gives out awards to 15 female athletes over all sports and divisions of NCAA athletics, and Cohen was one of the elite.
While those awards were given for her excellence in past years, Cohen has also been honored for her stellar play this season. At the inaugural NESCAC Women's Tennis Championships Cohen was named the NESCAC Player of the Year. Adding to the impressive deluge of honors, last week Cohen was named the ITA Northeast Senior Player of the Year.
As for the future, Cohen believes that tennis will always be a part of her life. This summer she plans on playing in professional satellite tours around the country. But even if playing tennis for a living isn't in the cards, Cohen believes that tennis will always be a part of her. "Sports have always been a part of my identity, so I can't really see myself without sports in my life," she said.